1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for gaming and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for gaming wherein a telephone simulation is employed to interact with a player in conjunction with a bonus round of play.
2. State of the Art
Gaming machines, commonly termed xe2x80x9cslotxe2x80x9d machines, have long been a significant facet of the gaming industry. Video versions of gaming machines have become increasingly more popular in recent years. A current, widespread enhancement to conventional single game gaming machines is the addition of a xe2x80x9cbonusxe2x80x9d or secondary game or event typically enabled if a player achieves at least one selected outcome by play of the underlying base or primary game. Many bonus events are retrofitted as so-called xe2x80x9ctop boxesxe2x80x9d to conventional, single game gaming machines, thus enhancing player appeal with respect to gaming machines already in service.
In many cases, the bonus game is a singular event in that play on the gaming machine changes to the bonus game when a certain base game outcome is achieved, the bonus game then being played to completion. Examples of this type of bonus game, wherein the bonus games are variously configured, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,874, U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,932, U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,261 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,978, all assigned to Anchor Gaming, assignee of the present invention. Progressive games, wherein a portion of wagers is allocated to fund a jackpot, have also been embodied as bonus games. A notably successful example of a so-called linked progressive, wherein a plurality of gaming machines is linked for purposes of contributing to the award from a bonus event won at one of the linked gaming machines, is the Wheel of Fortune bonus game, which is based upon the aforementioned ""874 and ""932 patents.
In the Wheel of Fortune game, players are notified of the various events in the game through visual indicators such as flashing lights, computer-generated text images in the display, and audible indicators such as theme music playing. Specifically, a player is notified that he or she has won a chance at the bonus event by seeing the symbol appear in the display screen, flashing of a xe2x80x9cSpin the Wheelxe2x80x9d button on the gaming machine housing and playing of the Wheel of Fortune game theme. When the player pushes the Spin the Wheel button, the bonus wheel spins and sounds of the wheel spinning are generated. When the wheel stops and indicates an award, the sound of audience applause is generated. All of the foregoing elements are intended to enhance the player""s gaming experience and to attract other players to the game.
The Wheel of Fortune game has been, and is currently, extremely successful. It is always desirable, however, to continue to improve the individual player""s gaming experience to maintain and stimulate interest in gaming through novel approaches to the play of bonus games. For many players, it would be beneficial to prolong and enhance interaction with the bonus game to maintain a high level of entertainment value and to personalize the bonus gaming experience.
The present invention provides prolonged and enhanced player interaction in the context of a bonus event (such term as used herein encompassing, without limitation, bonus games) through use of a telecommunications link (hereinafter xe2x80x9cphone linkxe2x80x9d) at the site of the gaming machine and which may be an actual telecommunications component or a simulated one configured as a component of the gaming machine itself In one embodiment, the phone link may be configured as a telephone or a telephone handset; in another embodiment, a speakerphone; in another embodiment, a speakerphone/answering machine and in yet another embodiment, the player is provided an option to select a telephone (or telephone handset), speakerphone or a speakerphone/answering machine. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cphone linkxe2x80x9d encompasses all of the foregoing structures and variations thereof.
In still another embodiment, a device may be used in conjunction with the gaming machine to dispense noncash items to the player such as, for example, actual prepaid phone cards or tickets or other print media which may be redeemed for prizes of value. It is considered to be especially suitable, while not limiting, that such phone cards or other items be dispensed in association with play of the bonus event.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the bonus event may be configured as an xe2x80x9cincomingxe2x80x9d call on the phone link from the gaming machine and which is triggered by the random occurrence of a symbol or combination of symbols in the outcome of a primary game, such as a reel-type slot game (electromechanical or electronic), video poker game, video blackjack game, video Keno, video bingo, or any other suitable primary game known in the art. The symbols may be visible or may comprise one or more invisible symbols, or xe2x80x9cwatermarksxe2x80x9d, used as an element to trigger the ringing of the phone link to initiate interaction with the player for the bonus event. The incoming call may be initiated by a central controller such as a server such as, for example, a bonus event controller operably coupled to a plurality of gaming machines. It is also contemplated that an incoming call may be initiated by a player and awards made in response thereto in the form of cash, credit, merchandise, etc., or information may be disseminated in response to an incoming call.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the bonus event is configured as an xe2x80x9coutgoingxe2x80x9d call from the player on the phone link to the gaming machine. In this embodiment, the player accumulates wagering tokens from wins at the primary game, which wagering tokens may be characterized as xe2x80x9ccall creditsxe2x80x9d and displayed as a telephone, coin or other symbols on the display of the gaming machine during play of the primary game, such as a reel-type slot game (electromechanical or electronic), video poker game, video blackjack game, video Keno, video bingo, or any other suitable primary game known in the art. The player may trigger the bonus event each time a wagering token is won, or accumulate multiple wagering tokens toward eligibility for higher awards from play in the bonus event initiated at the player""s discretion by tendering of one or more of the call credits in the form of elements to initiate bonus play. In one aspect of the embodiment, different numbers of wagering tokens tendered are bracketed for different, progressively higher award ranges. In this embodiment, the player may also be given the option to xe2x80x9ccash outxe2x80x9d his or her wagering tokens in lieu of playing the bonus event.
In any embodiment, once interaction between the player and the gaming machine has been initiated, a bonus event from a plurality of bonus events may be either chosen by the player or randomly presented to the player.
For example, in the case of an outgoing call bonus event, the player may be presented with a plurality of fictitious xe2x80x9ctoll freexe2x80x9d numbers to select and xe2x80x9ccallxe2x80x9d via a xe2x80x9cspeed dialxe2x80x9d selection initiable, to save time and prevent entry errors, by pressing a single number on a key pad or other player input element of the gaming machine as one would for accessing speed dial selections on a telephone. Once the player makes a selection and the xe2x80x9ccallxe2x80x9d is placed, a comical or other entertaining dialogue is played, optionally in conjunction with a synchronized video animation, and a bonus award is randomly generated and displayed. Optionally, the player may be prompted to push a number or symbol on the key pad, or another player input element, to access the award. In either instance, the amount of the bonus award won is shown on the gaming machine display. Each xe2x80x9cspeed dialxe2x80x9d selection has several possible responses, one of which is randomly chosen for each bonus event. Of course, an incoming call bonus event may be similarly configured, for example, by the player being provided a xe2x80x9cvoice mailxe2x80x9d message over the phone link to xe2x80x9creturnxe2x80x9d a call by speed dial.
An incoming call bonus event or an outgoing call bonus event may also be configured as one of a number of different, well-known telephone experience categories, such as, by way of example, a xe2x80x9cradio showxe2x80x9d call-in, a xe2x80x9cpsychic hotlinexe2x80x9d call-in, a xe2x80x9clove linexe2x80x9d call-in, and a xe2x80x9cjoke linexe2x80x9d call-in. The telephone experience category for the bonus event may be randomly presented to the player, or the player given the option to choose the category. In either case, once the telephone experience is initiated, the player is given a series of choices as the event progresses through at least two tiers of player interaction until a bonus event outcome is reached and a bonus award is randomly generated and displayed. The bonus award may be conveyed to the player through the phone link and gaming machine display and personalized to the individual player both audibly and visibly through use of player tracking cards, PIN numbers, credit or debit cards, or other suitable techniques known in the art for identifying players.
In yet another embodiment of the invention and one particularly suitable for, although not limited to, bonus events, a visually perceptible representation, such as a video representation, of a partially or completely hidden multidigit telephone number, such as a seven digit xe2x80x9clocalxe2x80x9d number, is displayed. The bonus event is played by guessing each hidden digit (for example, 0 through 9) of the seven digits in the telephone number until the complete telephone number is revealed. A keypad, either on the gaming machine chassis, a portion of a touch screen on the gaming machine, or a keypad specifically associated with the phone link, may be employed to input the player guesses. After each guess of a hidden digit, the player is informed if the guess is correct or, if incorrect, whether the target number to be guessed is higher or lower than the last guess. The guessing process continues until the entire seven-digit telephone number is revealed, in response to which a bonus amount is awarded which correlates to the number of guesses it took to complete the telephone number. The bonus event may also be completed by calling the revealed telephone number to trigger the bonus amount, some portion thereof, or an additional bonus amount, as well as to receive an entertaining or congratulatory message. It is further contemplated that one or more additional telephone-associated symbols on the keypad such as xe2x80x9c*xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c#xe2x80x9d may be used as wild symbols to complete the digits of the telephone number. A player may be provided with one or more such wild symbols to play as part of the bonus event, such symbols may be awarded during play of a primary or base game which leads to the bonus event, or a player may be permitted to purchase a selected number of wild symbols at the commencement of the bonus event or during play thereof
With any of the foregoing approaches to the bonus event, a player may also be provided the option, at the conclusion of a bonus event, to play for xe2x80x9cdouble or nothingxe2x80x9d and wager the bonus award in a new bonus event round.
It is also contemplated that the game of the present invention may be implemented with the bank of networked gaming machines and further contemplated that the game may be implemented as a linked progressive game among a plurality of networked gaming machines at a single or plurality of different sites.